I’ve got to take a numeracy and literacy exam tomorrow. Professional skills tests. Not too challenging but the maths has 10 mental maths questions with a minute to answer each.

The first has me stumped and worried!

The question is:

A maths course is assessed with 3/4 written work and 1/4 coursework. 1/4 of the written work is mental maths. What fraction of the course is mental maths.

Besides this being a strangely worded question (some of the written work is mental maths), sure the fraction is 1/4 of 3/4 which I can’t work out in a minute but using a calculator for .75/4=0.1875 = 1875/100000

Is there an easier way of doing this? I’ve transcribed the question correctly but were they expecting an answer of 1/4?

3/16

You could be in trouble 😀

From the days when I used to use fractions (early secondary school, IIRC), you’re essentially multiplying fractions:

So you want to know what 1/4 of 3/4 is. Multiply the numerators (top numbers) and you get 1×3=3. Multiply the denominators (bottom numbers) and you get 4×4=16.

So the answer is 3/16. Which is also 0.1875.

1/4 * 3/4 = (1*3)/(4*4) = 3/16

Aside: This is why imperial measurements are practical.

(Edit: added a step to show working)

Yeah, what they said.

I was going to say 3/16ths too.

1 3 1×3 3
-x- =—- = –
4 4 4×4 16

Rabbit Based Maths
A magician pulls rabbits out of a top hat at the rate of 18 standard rabbits per hour. How long will it be before he has enough pelts to make a fur coat for his assistant, who has a mass volume of 144 gallons?

thanks.

yes allthepies. I’m ****!

^^rhymes with mucked

There maybe trouble ahead…. 🙂

Good luck, I have a horrible feeling you might need it!

A maths course is assessed with 3/4 written work and 1/4 coursework. 1/4 of the written work is mental maths. What fraction of the course is mental maths.

I thought you were describing the actual test.

it asks what fracton of the COURSE is mental maths, not what fraction of the ASSESSMENT

Also it’s 1875/10000 (but nicer as 3/16)

Is there not the problem that at no point does it imply that the same percentage of mental maths applies to both written work and coursework?

Is there not the problem that at no point does it imply that the same percentage of mental maths applies to both written work and coursework?

A maths course is assessed with 3/4 written work and 1/4 coursework. 1/4 of the written work is mental maths. What fraction of the course is mental maths?

It does not imply any of the coursework is ‘mental maths’.

What are the professional test for? Teaching?

Reminds me of the time I ordered a tumble drier instore. Had to leave a deposit of at least 10%. The drier was £118 so I said “I’ll just pay £18 as the deposit then.”

At which point the shop assistant got his calculator out so he could tell me that I’d have £100 left to pay.

OP firstly apologies I never sent back the email I should have done 🙁

Secondly its our job so onwards and upwards and knock ’em dead. Maths tests on Christmas Eve, set by Ebenezer Scrouge no doubt !

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meanwhile back in the real world of hard knocks …. that wasn’t a hard question, one quarter of three quarters (I do have a post-grad in a maths related subject 😉 )

I’m so old I went to primary school where such things were routine 😉

Can mental maths be written or does it then become something else? Was this a numeracy question or a literacy question?

Mental maths?

Just do what anyone would do, use t’internet:

https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=quarter+of+three+quarters

I’m so old I went to primary school where such things were routine

Still is 😉

Don’t believe the Daily Mail, standards have not really slipped…though clearly people’s memories have 😉

Primary school maths is a lot more complex than it was 40 years ago when I did it.

What’s that maths altenative to the times table where stuff is added rather than multiplied (or something like that)?

Logarithms?

Still is

Don’t believe the Daily Mail, standards have not really slipped…though clearly people’s memories have

Not in my experience, children’s understanding of fractions is woeful.

Not in my experience, children’s understanding of fractions is woeful.

Probably reflects the teachers ability in maths, there was a TV programme that showed that a disturbing number couldn’t pass the exam the kids had. How they teach something where they have no comprehension of it is beyond me

Always amazes me how people struggle with percentages, all this dividing by hundreds etc, loads of button tapping.

How did you get hold of the questions? You said you have a minute to answer each one. You’ve had a day to do this one.
Anyway, this isn’t maths. It’s arithmetic.